Communication has evolved drastically. We have now got the ability to look at each other while we talk over a distance that spans hundreds of miles. There are grandparents who are able to connect with their children, meetings that happen without people having to travel and so much more. If you want to know how lucrative the video calling feature is, look no further than Skype. This is valued at $8.5 billion.
If you go through any major application, you will also see that they have incorporated video calling into their features. You have good old Facebook which had the feature. Now it is in practically every social media platform. Instagram, Snapchat you name it, it's there.
The obvious question via this lengthy introduction that would have entered your mind would be - how do I make my own video calling application? It is the natural progression of thought. The good news is that with the growth in technology there are certain tools available online that would make the process of creating an application much easier.
The usage patterns of users have clearly shown an increase in their usage of video calling applications, as a matter of fact, 52% of users between the ages of 18-34 use their smartphones to make video calls.
Every product that you create, needs to resonate with the audience. What better to resonate with the audience than a video calling application. For your benefit, we have incorporated web services that you can use to develop a video calling application and make it a part of your business strategy.
AGORA
This is a powerful contender that has been growing in leaps in bounds in the market. It provides real-time communication via the SDKs and APIs of its services that can further be leveraged by developers to create a highly robust voice as well as video chat applications.
It has been used by major players like Hike, meet.me, Talk space and its biggest partnership to date, Xiaomi as their VOIP based voice and video call technology provider.
Their biggest USP remains that they have HD voice and video calling that uses the VOIP route to create a connection between devices. Their pricing is along highly compatible and different plans are depending on the quality of the connection you want to provide.
TWILIO
This has one of the lowest pricing plans in the list, with prices dropping down to $0.01 per minute in some cases. TWILO programmable APIs are a PASS service provider that has the ability to provide distinct API to help set up text, voice and video calls.
What sets TWILIO apart from most of its competitors is the amazing work it has done on the engagement cloud that is responsible for engagement APIs for the entire customer journey. This has both the ability to conduct individual as well as group calling, a feature to record calls, a screen share option, an extremely low latency rate and a lot more.
If your goal is to create a highly interactive application this is your best bet.
SINCH
When one uses the term cost-effective, VIOP based Sinch comes out on top. The video quality rate starts at prices as low as $0.003 per minute you know you are getting a lot for whatever you are paying for. It is termed as the single most affordable video calling SDK solution on the market. On top of their cost, they also provide 2500 free calling minutes every month.
Their core principle is simplicity, and that drives them to provide feature-rich yet extremely simplistic SDKs for IOS, Android and web applications that are easy to set up as well as use. Their partnership list is also extremely impressive Truecaller, Tango, Uber and many more.
QUICKBLOX
They utilize chat connections based on XMPP and have services that are calculated based on the usage of the community instead of the usual subscription. When it started out it was considered the underdog. Now, however, it is one of the most professional chat web service providers. There are also detailed guided organized by platform and technical support channels that provide help at all times.
TOKBOX
This is an old player in the game. The winner of the 2013 'Best WebRTC Tool', TokBox is a goldmine of features that set it at par with its competitors. Features like one to one and group video calls, call recording and screen sharing make it a good option for anyone looking to up their game. Thanks to the number of years it's been around, its services are also consistent. The issue with this application, however, is their price point. Which alienates the startups with its costlier programs.
GRUVEO
This is a free call service provider that allows users to have a web-based video chat without any logins or signups. All you need to do is create a session, share a link and engage in a video chat.
This whole exercise has been termed as nothing more than a smart marketing strategy from Gruveo. The ability of free login and the number of users showcase the abilities of its video chat sensibilities. This is good for business as all its functionalities are also available as SDKs for Android, IOS and the web. If you just look at its track record you will have no questions about the application's capabilities.
VOXEET
This application aims to bring something new to the table via its claim to bring 3D surround sound to all your video calls, It is a service that is focused on providing high-quality audio and video experience. Voxeet in every sense of the word disrupted the WebRTC industry.
Voxeet also boasts of a whole kit of API's that can be beneficial to multiple industries and target audiences. Apart from the basic video calling service, you can also add on services like broadcasting, speech to text transcription and call recording to its customers.
EASYRTC
If a private sever hosted video calling service is what you're looking for, EasyRTC is a great option. It has an open-source WebRTC service that gives you an extremely detailed API to implement real-time communication that includes audio, file sharing and of course video capabilities. Above everything else, it is completely free of cost.
In this list, a recurring theme that you would have noticed is that all of them provide, more or less, the same functions. What makes each one of them lucrative in their own way can only be decided by you, depending on your end goal. Factors to keep in mind are the quality of services, usage, and your business model. Have a great time creating your application.
